Manufacture of inflatable tubes.



Patented Aug. 29, |899.4

Nn. Samoa.

F.` MALLALIEU. MANUFACTURE 0F INFLATABLE TUBES.

(Applica'tion led Apr. 15, 1897.)

(No Model.)

A MMM* UNITED STATES tPA/TENT OFFICE.

FRANK MALLALIEU, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO TI-IEMECHANICAL FABRIC COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MANUFAGTURE oF INFLATABLE TUBES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,803, dated August2e, 1899. Application led April 15, 1897. Serial No. 632,210. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

e Be it known that I, FRANK MALLALIEU, of

the city and county of Providence, State of Rhode Island, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of InflatableTubes; and I do hereby declare the following specification, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part'of the same,to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

Certain features of the present invention relate to the manufacture ofinflatable tubes, and more especially to rubber tubes used as air-tubesin double-tube pneumatic tires. In this class of tubes heretofore incommon use the ends of the tubes have been closed by securing the innerwalls of the tube to each other, thus forming a non-inflatable or deadpart at the ends of the tube. Moreover, with the ends of the tube closedin the above manner the pressure of the air in the tube tends to spreadthe walls of the tube where they are secured together, and thus causeleakage at this point.

One of the objects of the present improvements is to close the ends ofthe tubes in such a manner that the tube may be inflated throughoutsubstantially its entire length, with the result that there is no dead.part at the end of the tube to interfere with the resiliency of thetube when in place in the outer tube of the tire. 1

A further object of the present improvements is to close the ends of thetube in such a manner that the pressure of the air has no spreadingaction, tending to strip the secured surfaces from each other, butmerely tends to slide the secured surfaces upon each other, with theresult that the closure will resist a much greater force and will beless liable to become defective than would otherwise be the case.

The invention accordingly consists in certain improvements in the methodof closing the end of an inflatable tube and also in the tubeV producedby such method, as will be more fully set forth in the claims.

The further features of invention will be hereinafter described, and setforth in the claims.

In employing the present improvements a flap is formed at the end of thetube having ears or lips thereon at or near the ends of the fold-line,which ears or lips are secured to said flap, thus guarding against anypossibility of leakage at these points. The flap is then folded over theend of the tube and secured thereto. If desired, an auxiliary flap maybe employed, which is narrower than the main flap and lies between theears formed on said main flap. In this case the auxiliary fiap is rstfolded within the tube and secured to the opposite wall thereof. Thesurfaces of the rubber may be secured together in any desired mannereither before or after vulcanization; but it is preferred to vulcanizethe tube before closing its ends and to use cement in forming theclosure.

In the accompanyingdrawings I have shown two forms of closures whichembody the present improvements; but it will be understood that theinvention is not limited to such forms, which are shown merely toillustrate applications of the invention.

Figure I is a view showing the end of a tube provided with a singleflap. Fig. la is a sectional view showing the nap folded over the end ofthe tube. Figs. 2 to 4 are views showing the end of a tube provided withtwo flaps, a main flap and an auxiliary flap, the several viewsrepresenting different stages of the process. Fig. 5 is a sectional viewon line da, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a view showing a doubletube tire with theinner tube in place.

Referring to Fig. 1 2 represents a tube provided with a iiap l, havingthe ears or lips 4 formed at the ends of its fold-line. In closing theend 3 of the tube the ears 4 are first secured to the flap l, preferablyby cement, as indicated by dotted lines. The lap 1 is then folded overthe end of the tube, preferably on the line 5 6, and secured thereto.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5, the tube 2 is also provided with anauxiliary flap 7, which is narrower than the main flap I and which islocated between the ears 4. In this case the closure is made in the samemanner as 'before, the flap 7 being iirst folded within the tube 2 andsecured to the opposite wall of the tube, as shown in Fig. 5.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The improvement in forming inflatable IOO tubes consisting in forminga flap at the end of the tube, said flap having ears at or near the endsof its fold-line, securing said ears to the flap, and folding said flapover the end of the tube and securing itthereto, substantiallyasdescribed.

2. The improvement in forming inflatable tubes consisting in forming amain and an auxiliary flap at the end of the tube, said main flap havingears at-or near the ends of the fold-line, folding the auxiliary IiapWithin the tube and securing it to the opposite Wall` of the tube,securing said ears to the main iiap, and folding said main flap over theend of the tube and securing it thereto, substantially as described.

3. An inflatable tube provided at its end with aflap foldedoverthe-emlofthe tube and secured thereto, 'said 4flap having ears orlips at or near the ends of its fold-line which are secured to saidflap, substantially as described.

4. An inflatable tubeprovided at its end and secured to the oppositeWall and a main flap folded over the end of the tube and securedthereto, said main flap having ears at or near the ends of its fold-linewhich are secured to said iiap, substantially as described.

'FRANK MALL-ADIEU.

` Witnesses:

R. A. BATES, IRA L. FISH.

